Chemistry vs. cognition

I am doing research on lust today and have delved into the brain chemistry behind this sinful trait.

It turns out that there are hormones driving lust, as there are for romantic desire and long-term romantic love.

As the chemical level, lust is driven by the hormone testosterone - in both men and women. Someone who is very lusty tends to have an increased output of testosterone. And in fact drugs that lower testosterone levels (like Depo-Provera) tend to also reduce libido.

Romantic desire has more to do with dopamine levels and long-term love is connected to a hormone called oxytocin, which is also involved in the feelings of love we have for our family and close friends and even feelings of affection towards strangers (kind of funny how similar the word sounds to oxycontin).

It's interesting to recognize how much chemistry is involved in our development of feelings. It begs the question - are we in control of our hormones or do they control us? As in - do I make the decision to be in love after which my body will produce oxytocin to support that decision, or, is the oxytocin released on it's own based on other factors, causing me to be in love?

I am going to address this question of chemistry vs. cognition at some length in the book. I suspect that our conscious and unconscious minds have more to say about what chemicals our bodies produce than we might suspect. It's a tricky question but one I am looking forward to exploring.